Enclosing device for cigarettes and the like



y 1, 1934- J. w. THOMPSON 1,957,302

ENCLOSING DEVICE FOR CIGARETTES AND THE LIKE Filed NOV. 23, 1929 l NVENTOR 'ATI'ORNEYS Patented May 1, 1934 UNITED STATES ENCLOSING DEVICE FOR OIGAEETTES AND THE LIKE

John W. Thompson, New York, N. Y., assignor to Evans Case Company, North Attleboro, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application November 23, 1929 Serial No. 409,198

9 Claims.

This invention relates to enclosing devices for cigarettes and the like, and, wiih regard to the more specific features, to devices of such nature adapted to coact with the original package in which cigarettes are contained.

One of the objects thereof is to provide a practical device of the above nature of simple and inexpensive construction. Another object is to provide a device of the above nature which shall be convenient in use and efficient and dependable in action. Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, as will be exemplified in the structure to be hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is shown one of the various possible embodiments of this invention,

Figure 1 a perspective view, certain parts being shown in dotted lines in order to disclose the construction more clearly;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.; and

Fig. 3 is a similar view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawmg.

Referring now to Fig. 1 of the drawing in detail. there is shown a top frame 10 having a depending flange 11 extending about the sides and forward end of the top of the device and a corresponding inturned flange 12.

Seated within and secured to this frame at its upper side portions is a resilient wire member having parallel arms 13 connected one with another by the transverse portion 14 at the rear of the device or right-hand poriion, having reference to Fig. 2 of the drawing. The forward ends of arms 13 lead respectively to a pair of downwardly extending loops 15 flattened as indicated at 16 and terminating at their upper rear ends in a transverse portion 17 adjacent the portion 14. These loops, being of spring metal, tend to hold the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2 of the drawing, but their rear portions may be pushed forwardly into the position indicated in dotfed lines in that figure. The loops 15, including the arms 13, constitute open loops in the sense that the adjacent ends are not connected, and the loops are preferably located in parallel planes. While actually the two loops are shown as made from a single piece of wire, so far as certain features of the invention are concerned, they might be separate, although certain advantages are secured by the construction shown.

superposed on the frame 10, and provided with a flange 18 adapted to embrace the frame, is a cover member 19 having at its rear portion a tubular part 20 journaled on the transverse member 14, and about which the cover or lid is adapted to swing. Also formed on or secured to the rear portion of the cover member, substantially in the position indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawing, is a tubular portion 21. loosely fitting the transverse portion 17. The rearmost portion of the cover is preferably extended, as shown at 22, to form a tab or finger piece for purposes hereinafter described.

By the above construction, it will be seen that the cover 19 and the loops 15 are joined together, the angular relationship of these parts being dependent upon the relative disposition of the free ends of the loops, and that under the urge in a rearward direction of the transverse portion 17, the cover or lid is normally held tightly fitted in closed position about the top of the frame, as shown in full lines. When, however, the rear upright portions of "the spring loops are pressed in a forward direction into the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the lid is quickly swung about the member 14 into the open upright position indicated in dotted lines. By a mere release of this pressure, however, the spring is snapped shut and held firmly in closed position. This opening action may, if desired, be brought about by pressure upon the finger piece 22, which tends, by movement of the tubular part 21, to swing the lid open. In this case also, a mere release of pressure would result in the closing of the lid. The loops 15 thus impart to the cover 19 a couple, meaning that they impart to it a force tending todisplace it angularly without translation, and furthermore, when the loops are compressed, a couple in an opposite angular direction is exerted upon the cover.

Indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawing is an outer container 23. The upper edge portions of this container, as best shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, fit snugly at 24 between the flanges 11 and the adjacent portions of the spring loops. If the part 23 be assumed to be the original package or container in which cigarettes are commonly sold, it will be seen that it is assembled with the remaining parts of the device merely by removing its uppermost portion and inserting the flattened loops 15 between the outer walls of the package and the cigarettes therein contained, as indicated in dotted lines at 25 in- Fig. 3 of the drawing. The loops are forced downwardly in this position until the upper edge of the package or container is seated as above described within the frame 10.

It is to be noted, however, that, due to the proportioning and resilience of the spring arms 15, they grip the entire contents of the package of cigarettes on the flat sides of the package, and

if they are inserted as above described and withdrawn, they remove the entire cigarettes intheir original form, thus permitting in a convenient manner the insertion of the cigarettes into a permanent container formed, for example, of thin leather or other material, which may be assumed to be indicated by the dotted lines 23. With this use of the device, the original paper may then be discarded.

With either method of use, it will be seen that when the container of the cigarettes and the remaining parts of the device are assembled, the former are snugly held in position and the container supported against deformation when partially emptied and against tearing of its upper edges. When it is desired to extract a cigarette, the lid is, by a single movement, quickly opened, and the closing action is entirelyautomatic, being brought about by the mere release of the device. The spring tension under which the lid is continually held seated, prevents the escape of small particles of tobacco from the contents of the package, and precludes looseness either in the original form or from the effect of wear and use of the parts.

It will thus be seen that there has been pro vided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and that it is well adapted to meet the hardest conditions of practical use.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention, and as many changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In a device of the general nature of that herein described, in combination, a cover, a pair of fulcrum members whose axes are parallel and close together and parallel to the plane of said cover said fulcrum members being connected to said cover, and spring means located substantially in a plane normal to the axes of the fulcrum members and connected to both of said fulcrum members and imparting to said fulcrum mem. bers a couple, said spring means being shaped to be placed in the side of a cigarette holder or package.

2. In a device of the general nature of that herein described, in combination, a frame, a cover, a pair of fulcrum members whose axes are parallel and close together and parallel to the plane of said cover said fulcrum-members being rigidly connected to said cover, and a wire connected to both of said fulcrum members and located substantially in a plane normal to the axes of the fulcrum members and constituting a spring to hold the cover in a certain position.

3. In a device of the general nature of that herein described, in combination, a resilient wire member forming an open loop, a cover, a pair of fulcrum members whose axes are parallel to each other and to the plane of said cover said fulcrum, members being connected to said cover, and connections between said fulcrum members and the ends of said loop holding said cover in a given position by the resilient force of said wire.

4. In a device of the general nature of that herein described, in combination, a pair of resilient wire loops each open at one place, a cover,

a pair of fulcrum members whose axes are parallel to each other and to the plane of said cover, said fulcrum members being connected to said cover, and connections between said fulcrum members and the ends of said loops holding said cover in a given position by the resilient force of said wire loops. I

5. In a device of the general nature of that herein described, in combination, a single wire forming a pair of open loops open at one place, a cover, a pair of fulcrum members whose axes are parallel to each other and to the plane of said cover said fulcrum members being connected to said cover, and connections between said fulcrum members and the wire at the open place holding said cover in a position which is a function of the relative positions of the ends of the loops.

6. In a device of the general nature of that herein'described, in combination, a cover, a pair of fulcrum members whose axes are parallel and close together and parallel to the plane of said cover said fulcrum members being connected to said cover, and resilient means connected to said fulcrum members being adapted to fit in a receptacle, the angular relation between the cover and the resilient means being a function of the deformation of said resilient means.

7. In a device of the general nature of that herein described, in combination, a frame, a pair of loops depending from said frame and attached thereto, a cover, a pair of fulcrum members connected to said cover having axes parallel to each other and to the plane of said cover, a connection between said frame and one of said fulcrum members, and a connection between said loops and the other of said fulcrum members, said cover being thus adapted to be moved with respect to said frame by compression of said loops, the bottom portions of the loops being flat in planes parallel to the planes of the loops whereby they may fit in a cigarette package and resiliently grip the cigarettes.

8. In a device of the general nature of that herein described, in combination, a cover, a pair of loops extending downwardly from said cover the bottom portions of the loops being fiat and the loops being in parallel planes with the flat portions in said planes, a pair of fulcrum members whose axes are parallel to each other and to the plane of said cover said fulcrum members being connected to said cover, and connections between the open ends of the loops and the fulcrum members, the loops being thus adapted to be inserted in the sides of a cigarette package to remove the contents thereof by withdrawing the loops, and the cover being adapted to be opened by compression of the loops.

9. In a device of the general nature of that herein described, in combination, a flange member shaped to embrace the upper end of a package of cigarettes, a cover member pivotally connected to said flange member, and a pair of resilient members each attached to the flange member and extending downwardly and thence upwardly and connected to the cover member adjacent its pivot each at a point substantially the same distance from the pivot, whereby upon forcing the downwardly and upwardly extending portions together the cover is moved about its pivot.

JOHN W. THOMPSON. 

